Hello from Arizona

[Brh]

Bisbee, AZ that is. Carpenter by trade, woodworker by hobby. Recently became interested in pen turning. About to pull the trigger on either a Rikon or PSI midi-lathe. Still on the fence. Any advice welcome. Many thanks.

 

[bobjackson]

Welcome from northern Ohio.

 

[johncrane]

Welcome to IAP Brian!:biggrin:

 

[seamus7227]

Welcome from Wichita Falls,TX! I have a Jet 1220VS and love it, but i started out with the little 8x12 wood lathe from harbor freight and made my first 200 pens off of that. So if you just want to make pens and get out cheap, that is always an option.

 

[ironman123]

Welcome to the forum, from Central Texas.

Ray

 

[corian king]

Hello From Va, I am like Seamus. I also have the jet 1220VS and I love it.
Good Luck!!

 

[Dalecamino]

Welcome Brian. I bought the Turncrafter Pro VS from PSI in 2006 It is still serving me well. Have made hundreds of pens, and other stuff with it. I've been trying to wear it out:biggrin:

 

[OOPS]

My brother owns a Rikon and I own the Harbor Freight lathe that Seamus described. Both make pens. If I were to make the purchase again, I would still buy the HF lathe, because I like the variable speed, and would never purchase a lathe without it. There is nothing wrong with the Rikon. If you think there's a possibility you might not like pen turning, then you will spend much less to get the HF than the Rikon. On the flip side, the market for used Rikons is better than the HF. Another thing to consider is that if you really like turning and opt for a more powerful lathe in the future, you can still dedicate the HF lathe as a buffer. I don't have any experience with the PSI. In the end I decided on the HF because I didn't think I would sell the lathe, and the money I saved allowed me to buy other items needed to make better pens. Good luck on your decision.

 

[Jim15]

Welcome Brian.

 

[rherrell]

Welcome!

 

[SDB777]

Welcome aboard!!!!




Scott B

 

[Ligget]

Welcome to the IAP!

 

[Johnny westbrook]

Welcome from Mississippi.

 

[Dennis K]

Welcome from Mississippi!

Dennis

 

[triw51]

Welcome from Northern Arizona. This is a great group to be associated with.

 

[GaryT45]

I have a Rikon variable speed, and I'm happy with it. My first lathe was Rockler's store brand (not variable speed - and it would up that I almost never changed the belts). Bought both from Amazon with free shipping.

 

[Bowl Slinger]

A warm welcome to the group from the Evergreen State!